Fishing for Fishies

Fishing for Fishies
Studio album by
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
Released26 April 2019 (2019-04-26)
Studio
  • TFS Studios (tracks 1, 2, 4–9)
  • Flightless HQ (tracks 3–5, 9)
  • Hotel rooms in Guadalajara, Tijuana, Monterrey and Mexico City (track 8)[1]
Genre
Length41:56
LabelFlightless
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard chronology
Gumboot Soup
(2017) 		Fishing for Fishies
(2019) 		Infest the Rats' Nest
(2019)
Singles from Fishing for Fishies
  1. "Cyboogie" / "Acarine"
    Released: 1 February 2019
  2. "Fishing for Fishies"
    Released: 11 March 2019
  3. "Boogieman Sam"
    Released: 28 March 2019
  4. "The Bird Song"
    Released: 24 April 2019

Fishing for Fishies is the fourteenth studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. It was released on 26 April 2019 by Flightless and ATO Records.[5] The announcement of the album was accompanied by the release of the title track and its video.[6]

At the ARIA Music Awards of 2019, the album was nominated for ARIA Award for Best Blues and Roots Album,[7] losing to The Teskey Brothers for Run Home Slow.

Background and recording

Fishing for Fishies was first teased by the band on 21 January 2019—over a year after the release of the last of their five 2017 albums, Gumboot Soup—when they posted a picture of themselves in the studio on social media with the caption "new music coming soon".[8] Shortly afterward, they released the album's first single, "Cyboogie", as a 7" single with "Acarine" as the B-side, along with an accompanying music video.[9]

In March 2019, details of the album were apparently leaked to webstores, including the album title, cover, and track listing, which included both "Cyboogie" and "Acarine", as well as the entire title track and minute-long previews of the other tracks. The band confirmed the leak on 11 March, officially announcing the album through social media.[10] The next day, the title track was officially released as a music video on YouTube.[11] The album's third single, "Boogieman Sam," was released on 28 March.[12]

Regarding the album, band frontman Stu Mackenzie said, "We tried to make a blues record. A blues-boogie-shuffle-kinda-thing, but the songs kept fighting it—or maybe it was us fighting them. Ultimately though we let the songs guide us this time; we let them have their own personalities and forge their own path. Paths of light, paths of darkness. This is a collection of songs that went on wild journeys of transformation."[6]

Sections of the album were recorded at a house owned by members of Tropical Fuck Storm. During these sessions, members of both bands recorded a large jam known as the "Hat Jam"—elements of which were later reused and incorporated into the first single of King Gizzard's 2022 album Omnium Gatherum, "The Dripping Tap", and Tropical Fuck Storm's joint EP with King Gizzard Satanic Slumber Party.[13]

Shortly before the release of Fishing for Fishies, a short behind-the-scenes documentary titled How to Gut a Fishie was uploaded to YouTube by the band, showcasing clips of the recording sessions of Fishing for Fishies and Hat Jam.[14]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic73/100[15]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[16]
DIY[17]
Exclaim!8/10[18]
NME[19]
Pitchfork4.8/10[20]
Under the Radar[21]

The album received mostly positive reviews, though Sophie Kemp of Pitchfork rated it 4.8 out of 10 and wrote that the album "is vaguely about the environment, but mostly about goofing off with expensive equipment in service to the concept of 'boogie oogie ooging'".[20] NME rated it four stars, saying that the album was "their most accessible and immediate album to date".[19] DIY's Connor Thirlwell gave the album three and a half out of five stars, noting that "King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard still know how to kick ass".[17]

Track listing

Vinyl releases have tracks 1–5 on Side A, and tracks 6–9 on Side B.

Fishing for Fishies track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Fishing for Fishies"
5:01
2."Boogieman Sam"
  • Mackenzie
4:41
3."The Bird Song"
  • Mackenzie
  • Kenny-Smith
4:24
4."Plastic Boogie"
  • Mackenzie
3:03
5."The Cruel Millennial"
  • Kenny-Smith
  • Mackenzie
4:56
6."Real's Not Real"
  • Mackenzie
3:40
7."This Thing"
3:59
8."Acarine"
  • Mackenzie
  • Walker
5:24
9."Cyboogie"
  • Mackenzie
6:48
Total length:41:56

Personnel

Credits for Fishing for Fishies adapted from liner notes.[22]

  • Stu Mackenzie – vocals (1-4, 6, 8, 9), electric guitar (1, 2, 4-6, 8), keyboards (1, 2, 6, 9), mellotron (1-3, 6-8), piano (3, 6-8), synthesizer (8, 9), organ (3, 5), bass (2, 3, 5-7), flute (3, 4, 8), drums (2, 8), vibraphone (5, 7), percussion (2, 8)
  • Ambrose Kenny-Smith – vocals (1, 2, 4-6, 8), harmonica (1, 2, 4-8), mellotron (2), piano (6), keyboards (9), percussion (5, 6)
  • Joey Walker – electric guitar (1, 5, 7), bass (2, 4, 6), synthesizer (7-9), keyboards (7), acoustic guitar (7), percussion (4), vocals (4, 7)
  • Cook Craig – electric guitar (1, 2, 7), bass (1, 3, 5), synthesizer (9), vocals (4)
  • Michael Cavanagh – drums (1-9), percussion (3-5, 7), vocals (4)
  • Lucas Skinner – bass (5), synthesizer (9), shaker (4), vocals (4)
  • Eric Moore – drums (1, 6)
  • Han-Tyumi – vocals (9)

Charts

Chart performance for Fishing for Fishies
Chart (2019) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[23] 4
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[24] 142
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[25] 92
French Albums (SNEP)[26] 178
Scottish Albums (OCC)[27] 40
UK Albums (OCC)[28] 89
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[29] 13
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[30] 22
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[31] 10
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[32] 34
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[33] 43
US Vinyl Albums (Billboard)[34] 2

References

  1. ^ "King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard – Fishing For Fishies 2019 Green Marbled [Toxic Landfill Edition], Vinyl". Discogs. 26 April 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  2. ^ "What to do in Philly, Aug. 30-Sept. 5: Made in America, Vampire Weekend, speed dating, free museums". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 29 August 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  3. ^ "King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard share 10-minute live film from Melbourne". Far Out Magazine. 12 September 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  4. ^ deutschlandfunk.de. "Der bizarre Kosmos von King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Eidechsen im Ohr". Deutschlandfunk (in German). Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  5. ^ Martin, Clare (11 March 2019). "King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard Announce New Album Fishing for Fishies, Plus Summer Tour Dates". Paste. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  6. ^ a b Reed, Ryan (11 March 2019). "King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Prep New LP 'Fishing for Fishies'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  7. ^ "ARIA Awards: 2019 ARIA Awards Nominated Artists Revealed". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 10 October 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  8. ^ "@kinggizzard on Instagram: "NeW. MuSiC. CoMiNg. SoOn. .."". Instagram. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  9. ^ Blais-Billie, Braudie (31 January 2019). "King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Share Video for New Song "Cyboogie": Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  10. ^ Helman, Peter (9 March 2019). "King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Announce New Album 'Fishing For Fishies'". Stereogum. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  11. ^ Flightless Records (11 March 2019). "King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Fishing For Fishies (Official Video)". YouTube. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  12. ^ Strauss, Matthew (28 March 2019). "Listen to King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard's New Song 'Boogieman Sam'". Pitchfork. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  13. ^ "Tropical Fu*k Storm & King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Release Joint EP 'Satanic Slumber Party'". Amnplify. 14 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  14. ^ "How to gut a Fishie". YouTube. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  15. ^ "Metacritic Review". Metacritic. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  16. ^ Sendra, Tim. "Fishing for Fishies - King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  17. ^ a b Thirlwell, Connor (26 April 2019). "King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Fishing For Fishies". DIY. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  18. ^ Yuyitung, Matt (25 April 2019). "Exclaim! Review". Exclaim!. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  19. ^ a b Leivers, Dannii (18 April 2019). "King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – 'Fishing for Fishies'". NME. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  20. ^ a b Kemp, Sophie (26 April 2019). "King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: Fishing for Fishies". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  21. ^ Jardine, Ben (30 April 2019). "Fishing for Fishies". Under the Radar. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  22. ^ Track listing and credits as per liner notes for Fishing for Fishies album
  23. ^ "Australiancharts.com – King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Fishing for Fishies". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  24. ^ "Ultratop.be – King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Fishing for Fishies" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  25. ^ "Ultratop.be – King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Fishing for Fishies" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  26. ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes – SNEP (Week 18, 2019)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 19 May 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  27. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  28. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  29. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  30. ^ "King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  31. ^ "King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  32. ^ "King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  33. ^ "King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  34. ^ "King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Chart History (Vinyl Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 June 2019.